Where should North Texans go to get their second doses of COVID-19 vaccine?

As more North Texans come in for their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, various messages from suppliers have spread confusion about how to get the follow-up shots.

Many sites are still refining their vaccination systems, and state health officials have said they are working out plans to improve dosing procedures.

For now, this is what you need to know to get a second chance.

When are the second doses needed?

People receiving the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine should receive their second shots 21 days after the first. A follow-up Moderna vaccine should be administered 28 days after the initial dose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a four-day window when the second dose is considered valid if someone gets the vaccine early. The second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech is still valid on day 17, and the second dose of the Moderna vaccine is still valid on day 24.

The second doses should be from the same manufacturer as the first doses.

What if someone cannot get a second dose on time?

Patients should receive their second doses as close as possible to the recommended time. If this is not possible, people according to the CDC can receive their second doses up to six weeks after the first dose.

The CDC said that there are limited data on the efficacy of the vaccines beyond the six-week interval, but that the range of one of the vaccines does not need to be restarted if patients take their second dose more than six weeks after the first dose. do not get.

Should people go to the same providers for both shots?

State health officials recommend that people return to the same providers who administered their first doses.

Providers are usually given the second dose of the vaccine based on the number of first doses they have received, said Douglas Loveday, a spokesman for the health services department.

Booster doses are given to providers during the weeks that patients would be for their second shots, he said. A provider who received 500 doses of Moderna in the week of December 28 would receive 500 seconds for the week of January 25.

Providers may reduce or decrease the number of doses they will receive if they have not used the full allocations of the first doses.

Eventually, providers will be able to order increased doses instead of allocating them, but the process is a bit further, ‘Loveday said.

If patients are unable to get an appointment with their original providers, they can try to register at a vaccination center if the center accepts people who did not get their first shots there, or contact providers on the state’s availability card.

At present, the map of the state shows only the first doses available. Loveday said he does not know when or the state plans to make the second dose available on the card.

Here’s how different providers said they were planning second doses:

Health and Human Services in Dallas County

The state designated Dallas County Health and Human Services as a vaccination center.

At the Fair Park vaccination site, people receive cards indicating the date of their first doses on it, as well as the day on which they must return for their second shots.

Unless patients are told otherwise, they should return for their second dose on the date indicated on the cards.

Patients do not have to come back at a specific time, but they should try to come back at the same time of day as their first appointments, said dr. Philip Huang, director of the health department, said.

Patients must also bring their cards from their first appointment.

The process is only for people who got their first shot at Fair Park. It is possible that the province will turn people away if they do not get their first shots there, Huang said.

“You have to go back to where you got the first dose because the second dose is given,” he said. “We are not going to get extra doses for people who get it elsewhere.”

Parkland Hospital

Parkland Hospital has also been designated a hub and vaccinates people registered through Dallas County.

Mike Malaise, senior vice president for communications and external relations at the hospital, says Mike Malaise, when they receive their first doses.

The hospital only gives second doses to people who received their first doses there, he said.

UT Suidwes

UT Southwestern is also a vaccination center and handles people who register through Dallas County.

When patients are contacted for a first dose, they will be instructed to set up an online account at the hospital. Patients will be contacted through the online portal if the time is right for their second doses, the hospital says.

Public Health in Tarrant County

People registering through Tarrant County Public Health, designated as a vaccination point, will receive information on the timing of their second doses during their first appointments.

Patients will be contacted about their second doses a few days before they are scheduled. People who are unable to attend their second appointments can call the province’s coronavirus hotline at 817-248-6299 for other options.

Healthcare Services in Collin County

Collin County Health Care Services, another center, has partnered with Curative Medical Associates to run its vaccine operations, said state spokesman Tim Wyatt.

When people get their first shots in the county, a follow-up appointment for the second doses will be scheduled for them, he said.

Denton County Public Health

People vaccinated by public health in Denton County, which is also a hub, will be contacted to make appointments for their second doses, Drs. Matt Richardson, director of the county’s health department, said.

The province only gives second doses to people who received their first doses with it.

“What we’re being told is that the original grants get exactly the same amount of second doses,” Richardson said.

Walgreens

Walgreens pharmacists recommend that patients schedule their second appointments at the time of their first.

Pharmacists will also reach out to patients via email, phone calls and text messages to remind them of their second appointments, says Fraser Engerman, senior director of external relations for Walgreens.

Walgreens also plans to introduce an updated scheduler on its website, which will allow patients to make appointments for their first and second doses at the same time.

“Walgreens has extensive experience in administering series-based vaccinations and will use the learning and tools from our current vaccination processes to apply to COVID-19 vaccinations,” Engerman said.

Kroger

Kroger officials “fully expect our pharmacies to receive second doses,” said April Martin, manager of corporate affairs at Kroger’s Dallas division.

Pharmacies will issue patients to schedule their second appointments once they are confirmed that their second doses have been sent, she said.

“We are committed to ensuring that those who receive a first dose of Kroger Health will have access to their second dose of Kroger Health,” Martin said.

Tom Thumb / Albertsons

Tom Thumb and Albertsons did not respond to requests for comment on the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported that people can use the pharmacies’ online scheduler to make appointments for their second doses in the same places where they received their first doses. Patients will be notified after their first appointments to confirm that they have received their first dose. After the patients respond to it, they can schedule their second doses.